The present invention relates to a safety device to be worn by a user such as a bicyclist. The invention aids its user in detecting a vehicle approaching from the rear of the user without having to turn around and look.
Many safety devices for the popular sport of bicycling have been developed to protect riders from injury. Reflective devices can be worn by bicyclists or mounted to the bicycle to increase rider visibility. Additionally, bicyclists can wear protective clothing and/or helmets to reduce potential injury. Rear view mirrors can be mounted to the bicycle to aid bicyclists in identifying approaching vehicles. However, rear view mirrors have not been popular among bicyclists for several reasons: mirrors can be easily knocked out of alignment such that a rider cannot adequately observe vehicles approaching from the rear; more importantly, rear view mirrors require an active effort by the rider to look at the mirror to determine if a vehicle is approaching. Until the development of the present invention, no safety device has been introduced to aid a rider in passively detecting a vehicle approaching from the rear.
An object of the present invention is to aid a rider of a bicycle in passively detecting a vehicle approaching from the rear of the rider. To achieve this object of the present invention, sound reflectors are positioned on the left and right sides of a helmet near the user""s ears. The sound reflectors are designed to divert sound from a direction generally rearward of the rider and towards the rider""s ears.
The sound reflectors may be attached to an existing helmet through either a permanent or a removable connection. A removable connection allows adjustment of the sound reflectors through substitution of sound reflectors of various shapes and sizes. Sound reflectors of various shapes and sizes provide a variety of sound gathering and amplification effects. Additionally, a removable connection allows a user to adjust the position of the sound reflectors. A permanent connection between the sound reflectors and the helmet may also be adjustable to allow the user to customize the position and orientation of the sound reflectors.
In an alternate embodiment a splitter can be positioned between the sound reflectors to increase the sound gathering area of the sound reflectors and to direct sound towards each of the sound reflectors. Additionally, a light reflector can be included on the splitter to aid in rider visibility.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the noise of buffeting wind over a user""s face and ears caused by the user""s forward motion. Such noise curtails the user""s ability to hear approaching vehicles. This object is achieved by positioning the sound reflectors near a user""s face towards the front of the user""s ears. A curved outer surface of each sound reflector directs airflow around the user""s ears, thus reducing the accompanying noise. This advantage of the present invention is optimized by minimizing any gaps that would allow air to flow towards the user""s ears. Gaps between the sound reflectors and the helmet are minimized by forming the sound reflectors and the helmet as an integral unit. Gaps between the user""s face and the sound reflectors may be minimized by the inclusion of buffer pads between the edges of the reflectors and the user""s cheeks.
The foregoing and other objects are intended to be illustrative of the invention and are not meant in a limiting sense. Many possible embodiments of the invention may be made and will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof Various features and subcombinations of the invention may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.